Safety First!

[trolle]

Found this site which seems to be a very sensible place to learn about safety on two wheels: http://www.msgroup.org

greetings from a warm and sunny north

[Melena]

Looks good, Trolle.  A good place to check back to now and again.  If any of us even learns one thing that helps, it's worth it.

Thanks!  

[Danie]

Trolle, you have made a comment under another thread about your fear - letting your mind drift while driving a bike.

From my own experience in the past, I discovered that my own mind start drifting easily while riding in a group. Instead of concentrating like usual while riding on my own,  I tend to be more aware of the other bikers in the group, than to be on the alert about my own safety.

I do have a feeling that group riding might not be as cool as everybody (including myself) thinks !

[Ed Miller]

I never thought about that.  And the only groups I tend to ride with are the Oregon Vintage Motorcyclists....  seeing a Vincent twin motor stuffed into a Featherbed frame tends to get my attention.  I'll try to pay attention more, though I rarely ride in groups.  

[msbuck]

I think this is very true about riding in groups.  I notice a real difference between the times I lead and the times I follow.  And that's when it's only Graham and I riding together.   My mind seems to track on Graham instead of what's around me.
When I'm leading I do check my rearview mirrors frequently, but I'm much more aware of the world around me.

We avoid group riding for the most part, but we're always our own little group of two...

[nhmaf]

Personally, I think that I am much more alert/attentive when I do ride in a group, which is relatively rare.  IT is those times when I am all alone on a familiar road, with 75+miles to go to get home and I've ridden it more than a thousand times, that my mind tends to wander.    One thing that I do is to chew gum - with full-face helmet that pushes on my cheeks, if I let my mind wander I end up biting the inside of my mouth - that snaps me back into the "here-and-now" with great certainty.   I don't know if I'd recommend that to others though...
 

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Also a big difference between your "group of two" (married) and myself and Matt, whom we had not even gotten to know each other before the ride started.

I am sure he has thought of me as some clown that doesn't know what he is doing (however briefly...), simply because we are strangers till now.

[Melena]

I think this is very true about riding in groups.  I notice a real difference between the times I lead and the times I follow.  And that's when it's only Graham and I riding together.   My mind seems to track on Graham instead of what's around me.
When I'm leading I do check my rearview mirrors frequently, but I'm much more aware of the world around me.

We avoid group riding for the most part, but we're always our own little group of two...

You've hit on my feelings exactly, Aïda.  I and my partner avoid group riding too.  He's the only one I've ridden with.   He likes to keep me in front so he can keep an eye on me and the traffic off my tail.    But I always try to ride my own ride and not let any other rider influence how fast I go or how I ride.  Letting my mind drift off is something that does concern me.  Since this has happened to me on a bicycle with a resulting crash and concussion (even with a bicycle helmet) I am even more attentive than I would be otherwise.  Letting our egos get in the way and trying to one-up someone else on the road is the same kind of inattention and can get us in trouble too.  I see this happening when the Hardley Ableson groups are swarming the freeway.  I wonder why more of them aren't crunched by their fellow riders.  

The only time we tried to ride with some other folks (heading home after a rally) we got caught behind some other traffic and lost them.  We all had the wrong directions and they turned around but we didn't realize it was them going in the other direction.   Oh well.  Just as well.  I wasn't too into trying to keep sight of them.  

[trolle]

There might be a great difference between riding in groups on small winding roads, which I do every Tuesday if possible, and riding long distance on highways in groups. As to the former it keeps me on the toes constantly evaluating the turns, the other drivers' position, other traffic and a lot more in order to get the most out of the drive. But I always try to keep my focus on the road 2-300 m ahead to avoid following a fellow rider into the ditch.

As to the latter I have never done it but I know that after driving a while on the highway I loose the feeling of speed and get the feeling of existing in an envolope of my own. It is in no way an unpleasant feeling but potentially dangerous, so when ever it happens, I break the state by changing speed or taking a break.

Constantly reflecting on and evaluating your driving is a good precaution.

greetings from a grey and relatively warm north with mediocre driving conditions (there is a lot of dirt on the small roads in the rural districts and the roads are moist)

[Altritter]

Like Dr. Johnson's comment about the man who is be hanged in a fortnight, I find that nothing focuses my mind better than being on my bike. Though it happened decades ago, I haven't forgotten my wipeout in high school. (Curiously, I pay more attention driving my four-wheelers since I got back on a bike.)

[steve hawkins]

Its just the time of the year in the north.

The sun is low on the horizon, weather is damp and colder, people have not yet shifted to winter driving mode.  

The woman who hit me was horrified, and very sorry/shocked at the time.  She will be a better driver for the experience.

This transitional stage between summer driving and full winter driving seem to be a more dangerous time.

Watch out for those wet leaves round the next corner!

[trolle]

You're right, and wet highways, lorries and high speed is another potentially dangerous combination at this time of the year.

greetings from a sunny, windy and cool north with excellent driving conditions (in the sun!)